St. Landry democrat. (Opelousas, La.) 1878-1894, 1887-08-27
WASHINGTON LETTER.
From our Regular Correspondent.

WASHINGTON, d. c. Aug. Is. 1887.
Ex-Congressman Brady, one of the
Republican leaders of Virginia, was in
the Capital day or two since, and be-
ing at SKIES and sevens with little Billy
Malone, the Republican boss Of that
State, Mr.. Brady gently submitted to
an interview in which he gives some
interesting information. regarding the
political situation in the old Dominion.
He says that Malone in his mad desire
to make every other interest subser-
Went to his ambition to return to the
United States Senate, has alienated all
of his old lieutenants, including such
men as Senator Riddleberger, Ex-Gov-
ernor Cameron and two of the Republi
can congressman elect-so, that only
listless apathy and egregious blunders
on the part of the Democrats can. Sc
cure Mahone's return to power from
the Mother of Presidents.
That piece of monumental folly and
pet Republican measure, the Blair
Educational Bill, has been sat upon in
the house of its friends, or what was
supposed to be such, for the Committee
on Federal Affairs in the New Hamp-
shire House of Representatives, by u
vote of seven to three, was laid on the
table resolutions endorsing the bill.
And this from cranky Senator Blair's
own State and party That was the
most unkindest cut of all'-worse by
far than the Democrats could give.
Secretary Fairchild, II few days
since, dismissed a pair of Republican
clerks for consuming q portion OF their
valuable time during Office hours in
abusing the Democratic party one OF
them being brother of the brass
throated G.. A. R. bowler, Gen. Grosve-
nor, Congressman from Ohio. The
Secretary we'll says that he thinks it
too good in the Administration to keep
Republicans in their places, but, that
indecent criticism of the Democracy
should. not be permitted. The sentl-
ment of the able and popular young
Secretary of the Treasury will find q
ready echo in the hearts Of thousands
of Democrats, with the wish that
there we're more Fairchilds in the
Cabinet.
Secretary Whitney is pushing for
ward with the earnestness and enthu-
siasm characteristic of him, his efforts
to re-habilitate the American Navy,
having just awarded the contract for
the building of two gunboats and three
cruisers, after the most approved de-
signs, and with such iron-clad test as to
speed and capacity that full compliance
with these conditions is guaranteed.
Another commendable action OF the
Secretary is his continued refusal to
furnish any funds for the repair of rot
ten hulks like the Monocacy that were
inherited from the late Republican
regime.
Two Republican chief clerks of the
Interior Department have resigned
during the present Administration-the
successor of the last one not yet having
been chosen. I trust Secretary Lamar
will be able to find some good and
worthy Democrat for the position. 1t
il fact, perhaps not generally known,
that with a single exception, every
chief clerk of a Department under
President Cleveland's Administration,
is a hold-over Republican, although
those places are not under civil-service
rules. Why this is thus, | have, as yet,
been unable to discover, but, it "oyer-
comes me like summer cloud"
In the Washington Police Court the
preliminary Trial of the Crawford forni
cation case, which l have heretofore
mentioned, still drags its slow length
along like shiny serpent, owing to the
fact that it must give way each day to
the regular routine of cases. There
was most exciting scene in this scan
dalous case; one of the defendants
counsel told the Judge that the United
States District Attorney had said to the
two associate counsel for the defense,
that the Judge would decide the case
in the Governments favor, regardless
alike of argument and evidence-that,
in fact, he had pre-judged the case.
This statement the Judge had reduced
to writing, and as the venerable Jurist
read the charge in open Court, his
anger and passion were 80 overpower-
ing that he shook like an aspen leaf, as
he denounced the arraignment "as
q false aspersion upon my character"
Then, the District Attorney and the
opposingp counsel had an unseemly
wrangle-the former affirming and the
latter denying. | fully agree with one
of the defendants lawyers, who, in
towering rage, declared that the way
the case was being tried was "a dis
grace and an outrage on all concerned
in it,
Greatly Excited.
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